Content Tagging of Media Streams

1. A method, comprising: (a) receiving a media stream at a source device and inserting into the media stream a first tag indicating content of the media stream and the source device providing the first tag, wherein the media stream is sent from the source device through a network to a desired destination; (b) in response to a network device receiving the media stream prior to the desired destination: (b.1) identifying and reporting the first tag within the received media stream, (b.2) selectively inserting into the media stream a second tag indicating content of the media stream and the network device providing the tag, (b.3) creating a tag stack comprising the first tag and the second tag in the media stream, and (b.4) selectively forwarding the media stream with the tag stack through the network toward the desired destination; and (c) in response to the desired destination including the network device receiving the media stream: (c.1) identifying a value of each of the first tag and the second tag of the tag stack within the received media stream; (c.2) comparing the identified value of at least one of the first tag and the second tag to an expected tag value; and (c.3) in the event that the comparison indicates a match, delivering the media stream to a user interface.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (b) further comprises: (b.1a) identifying a value of the first tag within the received media stream; (b.2a) comparing the identified value to an expected tag value; and (b.3a) in the event that the comparison indicates a match, forwarding the media stream with the inserted first tag through the network toward the desired destination.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein in the event that one of the comparisons indicates a match at the network device, generating and forwarding a content verification report to a system management device, the verification report indicating that the identified tag value matches the expected tag value.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein step (b.2a) further comprises: (b.2a.1) in the event that the comparison indicates a difference between the identified tag value and the expected tag value, forwarding the media stream through the network in response to the identified tag being a substitute tag indicating substitution of the media stream content; and step (c.3) further comprises: (c.3.1) in the event that the comparison indicates a difference between the identified tag value and the expected tag value, delivering the media stream to the user interface in response to the identified tag being a substitute tag indicating substitution of the media stream content.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein step (b.2a) further comprises: (b.2a.2) generating and forwarding a substitution content delivery verification report to a system management device, the substitution content delivery verification report indicating that the identified tag is determined to be a substitute tag; and step (c.3) further comprises: (c.3.2) generating and forwarding a substitution content delivery verification report to a system management device, the substitution content delivery verification report indicating that the identified tag is determined to be a substitute tag.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (b) further comprises: (b.1a) substituting the content of the media stream with an alternative content; and (b.2a) inserting a substitute tag into the media stream indicating the substitute content.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the media stream is packetized according to a real-time transport protocol (RTP) and the tag is inserted within at least one of a synchronization source (SSRC) identifier field, a contributing source (CSRC) identifier field and an extension field of the RTP packet header.

8. A network device, comprising: a tag processor encoded for execution on a processing device associated with the network device and configured to process a media stream at the network device, wherein the media stream is sent through a network to a desired destination, the network device operative to: receive the media stream at the network device; identify a first tag associated with the media stream indicating content of the media stream and a source device providing the first tag; compare a value of the identified first tag with an expected value; in response to the comparison indicating that the value of the identified first tag does not match the expected value, selectively insert, by a tag inserter module, into the media stream a second tag indicating content of the media stream and the network device providing the second tag; creating a tag stack comprising the first tag and the second tag in the media stream; and selectively forwarding the media stream with the tag stack through the network toward the desired destination.

9. The network device of claim 8 , wherein the tag processor includes the tag inserter module to insert a substitute tag into the media stream when the content of the media stream is substituted with substitute content.

10. The network device of claim 9 , wherein the tag processor forwards the media stream to the user in response to a comparison of at least one tag value to an expected value not indicating a match and at least one tag of the tag stack being the substitute tag.

11. The network device of claim 10 , wherein the network device further comprises: a report generator module configured to generate and forward one or more reports to a system management device, the reports indicating one or more conditions of the identified tag value matching the expected tag value and the identified tag being a substitute tag.

12. The network device of claim 8 , wherein the media stream is packetized according to a real-time transport protocol (RTP) and the tag inserter module inserts the tag within at least one of a synchronization source (SSRC) identifier field, a contributing source (CSRC) identifier field and an extension field of the RTP packet header.

13. The network device of claim 8 , wherein the network device is one of a source device providing the media stream, a routing device, a multiplexing device, a translating device, a content splicing device, an encoding device, an encryption device, a transport service device, and a receiving device for providing the media stream content to a user.

14. Logic encoded in a non-transitory medium for execution and when executed operable to perform a method comprising: (a) receive a media stream at a source device and insert into the media stream a first tag indicating content of the media stream and the source device providing the tag, wherein the media stream is sent from the source device through a network to a desired destination; (b) in response to a network device receiving the media steam at a network device prior to the desired destination: (b.1) identify and report the first tag within the received media stream, (b.2) selectively insert into the media stream a second tag indicating content of the media stream and the network device providing the tag (b.3) create a tag stack comprising the first tag and the second tag in the media stream, and (b.4) selectively forward the media stream with the tag stack through the network toward the desired destination; and (c) in response to the desired destination including the network device receiving the media stream: (c.1) identify a value of the tag within the received media stream; (c.2) compare the identified value to an expected tag value; and (c.3) in the event that the comparison indicates a match, deliver the media stream to a user interface.

15. The logic encoded in a non-transitory medium of claim 14 , wherein step (b) further comprises: (b.1a) identify a value of the first tag within the received media stream; (b.2a) compare the identified value to an expected tag value; and (b.3a) in the event that the comparison indicates a match, forward the media stream with the inserted tag through the network toward the desired destination.

16. The logic encoded in a non-transitory medium of claim 15 , wherein in the event that one of the comparisons indicates a match at the network device, generate and forward a content verification report to a system management device, the verification report indicating that the identified tag value matches the expected tag value.

17. The logic encoded in a non-transitory medium of claim 15 , wherein step (b.2a) further comprises: (b.2a.1) in the event that the comparison indicates a difference between the identified tag value and the expected tag value, forward the media stream through the network in response to the identified tag being a substitute tag indicating substitution of the media stream content; and step (c.3) further comprises: (c.3.1) in the event that the comparison indicates a difference between the identified tag value and the expected tag value, deliver the media stream to the user interface in response to the identified tag being a substitute tag indicating substitution of the media stream content.

18. The logic encoded in a non-transitory medium of claim 17 , wherein step (b.2a) further comprises: (b.2a.2) generate and forward a substitution content delivery verification report to a system management device, the substitution content delivery verification report indicating that the identified tag is determined to be a substitute tag; and step (c.3) further comprises: (c.3.2) generate and forward a substitution content delivery verification report to a system management device, the substitution content delivery verification report indicating that the identified tag is determined to be a substitute tag.

19. The logic encoded in a non-transitory medium of claim 14 , wherein step (b) further comprises: (b.1a) substitute the content of the media stream with an alternative content; and (b.2a) insert a substitute tag into the media stream indicating the substitute content.

20. The logic encoded in a non-transitory medium of claim 14 , wherein the media stream is packetized according to a realtime transport protocol (RTP) and the tag stack is inserted within at least one of a synchronization source (SSRC) identifier field, a contributing source (CSRC) identifier field and an extension field of the RTP packet header.